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[1] These twice-baked popovers are savory, with bacon and cheese (photos #1, #2, #3, and #8 © King Arthur Baking).
[2] A popover pan enables the top to be puffy.
[3] Popover mix speeds the process.
[4] With a popover pan, air circulates around each well (photo © Fox Run | Amazon).
[5] You can see the difference between Yorkshire puddings and the popovers in the previous photo. Here’s Gordon Ramsay’s recipe (photo © House and Garden).
[6] Compare this flat Yorkshire pudding pan to the popover pan in photo #4 (photo © Masterclass | Amazon)
[7] The classic pairing of Yorkshire pudding and roast beef.
[8] Popovers made in a muffin tin don’t puff up, but they’re still delicious.
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Today’s recipe is for breakfast popovers, baked, halved, and stuffed with bacon, eggs, and cheese.
They’re a special treat for breakfast or brunch, and even for lunch with a green salad and/or tomato soup.
Popovers are unique, light and airy rolls—puffs, if you will, made from an egg batter in a special pan so that they puff up.
They get their name because their tops pop over their baking pan.
The exterior is golden brown and crisp, the interior soft and eggy with a large pocket of air.
Popovers are an Americanization of Yorkshire Pudding, a classic British Sunday lunch, served with roast beef and gravy. They use the same batter.
The difference:
Popovers are baked in a popover pan coated with butter. Popover pans are different from regular muffin tins. They have deep, steep-sided wells, which force the batter upward while baking, resulting in a puffy top and crispy sides. The wells are connected only at their rims, so that the hot air circulates freely between them (photo #4).
Yorkshire pudding is baked in beef drippings. Yorkshire Pudding tins are shallow with sloped sides, resulting in flat “puddings” with a sunken top (photos #5, #6, and #7).
> The history of popovers.
> The history of Yorkshire Pudding.
> The different types of bread: a glossary.
> See how to use leftover popovers, below.
RECIPE: TWICE-BAKED BREAKFAST POPOVERS WITH BACON, EGGS & CHEDDAR
With this recipe from King Arthur Baking, you can make standard-sized popovers for a more substantial meal, make mini popovers as finger food to serve as a side with other breakfast foods, or serve the minis as hors d’oeuvre for later in the day.
However you serve them, you’ll get accolades for this savory, airy treat.
Yield: 10 to 12 standard, 20 to 24 muffin-sized, or 28 to 36 mini popover halves.
Ingredients
9-ounce box King Arthur Baking Popover Mix
1 pound bacon
2 tablespoons butter
12 large eggs
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch scallions, chopped, white and light green pieces separated from dark green pieces
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on top
Preparation
1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F with a rack positioned in the lower part of the oven.
2. PREPARE the batter for the popover mix according to package instructions, allowing it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
3. POUR the batter into a heavily-greased 6-cup standard popover pan, a 12-cup standard muffin pan, or a 12 cup mini popover pan, filling the cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Note: if you use the mini popover pan, you’ll have to bake a second, partial batch to use up all the batter.
4. PLACE the pan in the oven, and bake the popovers for 34 to 38 minutes (30 to 34 minutes for mini popovers), until they’re a deep golden brown. While the popovers are baking…
5. PREPARE the bacon, egg, and cheese mixture. Cook the bacon crisp by whatever method you prefer (e.g., baking instead of frying), then chop it into 1/4″ to 1/2″ pieces. Set aside.
6. BEAT the eggs with the milk or cream, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
7. SET a large pan over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the light green and white scallions and cook until softened. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly until the eggs have just barely set and are still slightly wet (they’ll cook further when baked in the popovers).
8. TRANSFER the egg and scallion mixture to a mixing bowl, allow to cool slightly, then stir in the cooked, chopped bacon and the cheese. Set aside.
9. REMOVE the popovers from the oven, wait 5 minutes, and turn them out onto a rack. Do not turn off the oven.
10. ASSEMBLE. Once the popovers are cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise (a sharp, serrated knife is very helpful here). Spoon the egg mixture into the hollow portion of each popover half (you’ll need about 1/4 cup for the large popovers, 3 tablespoons for the popovers made in the muffin cups, and 2 tablespoons for the mini popovers).
11. PLACE the popover halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with extra cheese if desired, and bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the edges have turned golden.
12. REMOVE the popovers from the oven, garnish with the dark green scallions, and serve hot or warm.
MORE POPOVER RECIPES
Blueberry Or Cherry Popovers With Dried Blueberries/Cherries
Cherry Popovers With Fresh Cherries
Dutch Baby Pancake
Tender Classic Popovers
Can you make popovers in a muffin tin?
Yes. They’ll taste the same but without the same airiness, and they won’t have puffy tops. See photo #8.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER POPOVERS
“Popovers are a fleeting pleasure, says P.J. Hamel of King Arthur Baking. “As soon as they emerge from the oven they start to settle a bit, and as they cool the steam migrating through their softening crust can make them a bit tough and leathery.”
However, that doesn’t mean that you need to gobble them as soon as they emerge from the oven.
While that’s the optimal way to enjoy them, popovers served within 4 to 5 hours of baking will still be quite tasty.
Although the crisp crust will have gone away, they’ll still be soft and airy inside.
More options:
To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F and heat the popovers for 5 minutes, or until they are warm and crispy again, about 5 minutes.
To freeze: Place the cooled popovers in an airtight, freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. To reheat, place the popovers directly from the freezer into a preheated 350° oven and bake until warm and crispy, about 8 minutes.
BUY POPOVER MIX
Buy King Arthur Baking Popover Mix for yourself, and extra boxes as gifts for friends.
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